Grilled Lamb Chop Lollipops

These Grilled Lamb Lollipops are so easy to make, they are tender, juicy and taste just like you are sat in a high end restaurant.

That makes this lamb recipe great for those new to cooking lamb and also perfect for casual entertaining. Deliciously juicy lamb rib chops, seared to perfection served with a sweet spring pea and lemon dip. Everyone loves them and they are so quick and easy to put together.

Grilling the lamb chops, helps to create a beautiful crust, crisp up the fat and keep the meat within so soft and tender. These lamb lollipops literally melt in the mouth.

Why are they called Lamb Lollipops?

LAMP LOLLIPOPS! I love the name!

It is a whimsical name isn’t it? But one that is used in many restaurants and by butchers. However they do have other names!

What is a Lamb Lollipop?

A lamb lollipop is a trimmed lamb cutlet also known as a french trimmed rib chop. The meat and fat has been stripped from the bone to give you a lollipop stick to hold, whilst you eat the tender juicy meat.

Can I use any other type of lamb chop?

You sure can. If you can’t find lamb lollipops then you can buy:

Lamb Cutlets

Lamb Rib Chops

Lamb Loin Chops

Lamb Sirloin Chops

Rack of Lamb (and cut it into chops yourself)

The lamb cutlets or lamb rib chops will still have the handy lollipop stick style bone in them. Although it may not be trimmed of meat.

The lamb loin chops and lamb sirloin chops don’t have the same style bone, but are still easy to cook and delicious to eat. They will need a couple of extra minutes per side. (I have included that in the recipe notes)

For the rack of lamb, you can use this to cut your own chops by using a sharp knife to cut between the bones.

We don’t recommend Lamb Shoulder Chops for this recipe as they don’t get tender during the short of amount of cooking.

How to Trim the Lamb Chops

If you have bought lamb lollipops then all of the trimming should be done for you and you can move onto the cooking stage. However if you have bought on of the other options they you will want to cut off some of the fat. We don’t need to trim all of the fat. As the fat equals flavor. The best way is to trim off any really hard white fat that sits around the outside edge of the chop, leaving all of the softer fat in place. And don’t worry at all about chopping out internal fat, that will melt away and moisten the meat as it cooks.

How to Grill Lamb Chops

How thick should your lamb chops be?

The thickness of your lamb chops affects the cooking time. Aim to buy chops that are at least 1 inch thick. This will allow you to cook them for long enough to get the fat rendered and crispy without overcooking the inside of the chop/lollipop.

What internal temperature to grill lamb chops to?

Lamb needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF This will give you medium-rare chops, that are meltingly tender but do not leak blood all over your plate. If you wish to cook them to medium then go to an internal temperature of 160ºF. We don’t recommend any more cooked than this as the meat will get tough and chewy.

Salting your meat

Make sure you salt your lamb prior to cooking. Ideally you want to do this 30 minutes before you cook the lamb. This allows the salt to work its way into the meat and it will be extra juicy. But don’t worry if you don’t have time, just salt before you cook.

Grilling lamb chops

To grill the lamb chops, get the grill to a medium high heat.Grill the meat for 3 minutes on each side, then remove the lollipops/chops and allow then to rest for a further 3 minutes.

Can I cook these on a stove?

YES! Use a griddle pan or a cast iron pan to mimic the heat from the grill. You won’t get the same grill marks but the flavor will be very similar and the meat will still be tender. As with the grilling method cook the lamb chops for 3 minutes on each side and rest for 3 minutes.

Making the pea dip

The pea dip here is a wonderful addition.

Sweet baby peas are pureed together with crème fraîche and a little lemon. You can 100% use frozen peas here!! The sweetness of the peas works fabulously with the grilled lamb lollipops!!! Plus it makes this the perfect dish for Spring or Summer.

Knife and Fork?

Picking lamb lollipops up is THE acceptable way to eat lamb lollipops in our house!!!

Save the washing up and serve these on a large plate and let people pick them up, dip them and enjoy them.

What could be better than an outdoor grill, some juicy lamb and some good friends!

Ingredients

For the dip

For the lamb

Instructions

Bring a pan of water to the boil and then cook the peas for 3 minutes until soft.

Drain the peas and place them in a food processor with the creme fraiche. Add the zest of the whole lemon and the juice of half of it.

Puree the dip. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Plus extra lemon juice if required!

Refrigerate until needed.

Rub the EVOO into the lamb and season with salt. If you have time leave the lamb to rest for 30 minutes. (See note 3)

Pat the lamb dry with kitchen paper.

Pre-heat the grill or a ridged griddle pan over a medium high heat.

Griddle the chops for 3 minutes on each side and then transfer chops to a warm plate and let them rest for stand 3 minutes before serving with pea dip.

Notes

You want thick 1 inch lamb chops to ensure you get a nice crust without overcooking the inside.

If you can’t find lamb lollipops then you can buy:

Lamb Cutlets

Lamb Rib Chops

Lamb Loin Chops

Lamb Sirloin Chops

Rack of Lamb (and cut it into chops yourself)

The lamb cutlets or lamb rib chops will still have the handy lollipop stick style bone in them. Although it may not be trimmed of meat.

The lamb loin chops and lamb sirloin chops don’t have the same style bone, but are still easy to cook and delicious to eat. They will need a couple of extra minutes per side. (I have included that in the recipe notes)

For the rack of lamb, you can use this to cut your own chops by using a sharp knife to cut between the bones.

We don’t recommend Lamb Shoulder Chops for this recipe as they don’t get tender during the short of amount of cooking.

Salting the lamb before you cook it results in more tender tasty meat. But this recipe is still amazing if cooked straight away.

Reader Interactions

Comments

I’ve never tried making lamb, but I know my husband would love for me to! I wonder if my boys would try it, too. My almost-17mo old is anti all meat, and has been for about 3-4 months now. I’m hoping it’s all related to teething and he’ll be back to his fully eating self before he turns 12. Ha! My 2.5 year old might give it a try, if he’s in an eating mood, anyway.

My 5 yr old went off carrots for months, turned out he had a wobbly tooth and the carrot was hurting his gums. So fingers crossed teething is the reason x

These lamb chops are great if you don’t cook lamb very often as they are quick and really just need a nice sear on them. Also you can always take one off and cut it to check the doneness, without having to worry about a whole roast 😀

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